Dining Out: Shane's Texas Pit gets BBQ right

By Denise J. Wheeler

Thursday

Oct 18, 2018 at 3:15 AMOct 18, 2018 at 10:35 AM

If you grew up in southern New Hampshire, the thought of Hampton cuisine likely conjures images of seafood and fried dough – the fruits of the iconic beach strip. But local restaurateur Shane Pine opened Shane’s Texas Pit deep in the heart of Hampton earlier this year, saying he would bring the low and slow tradition of Austin-style BBQ to the coastal community.

Noble as it is to broaden the town’s dining out options, claiming to provide a venerable cultural staple from a state bigger than France with a legendary lineage of pit masters seemed to be on par with a Yorkie Terrier daring to take on a Great Dane. Was this a bold, painstakingly researched and executed move or an impudent scheme to leverage a revered tradition to make money?

Getting to the bottom of this would take more expertise than my provincial Yankee upbringing afforded. I am an amateur who grew up thinking barbecue meant tossing hot dogs on a grill. My dalliances with authentic BBQ have only brought me as far south as Oxford, Mississippi after a couple of gluttonous stops in Memphis. I needed a tag-team review partner who used the word “barbecue” as a noun; who knew it was a way of life and who had lived it in Austin. Once armed with said expert, a friend who started his music career in Austin and hosted meat-smoking gatherings in his driveway, I headed to Shane’s, ready to test its Texas mettle.

We went in skeptical. We came out pleasantly surprised. Shane’s offers dry-rubbed delights and authentic side dishes at reasonable prices and a friendly atmosphere that invites guests to channel the southern way of life – slowly savoring the company, country music, some football if you’d like and, especially, a style of food and drink well worth lingering over.

Everything at Shane’s is cooked over an open flame or smoked. That includes my small but creamy smoked deviled egg, $2, with a zesty blend of mustard, dill and paprika, and a peach cobbler, $8, an a la mode seasonal celebration in a bowl with dense, grilled vanilla cake melting into sweet, peach compote. Even my cocktail with Putnam’s rye, Gran Gala and Angostura bitters was a Smoked Manhattan, $10.

According to Texas BBQ doctrine, mastering pork ribs “marks the difference between the tyro, pyro and pitmaster.” Shane’s rose to the occasion. Our babyback slab was tangy and sumptuous – one of three meat servings that came with the Texas Dinner, $26. My guest dubbed them “the star” of the meal. They were glide-off-the-bone tender with a flavorful dark lacquer, elegant wood smoke flavor, and the cut was generous enough to anchor an entire meal. The plate also came with a heaping mound of succulent pulled pork, which came in at a close second on the Texan’s scorecard. The winning streak ended there. My guest had requested pulled chicken and found it just OK, a victim of drying out a bit more than chicken left on the bone.

Likewise, a Wagyu brisket, $23 for a plate with cornbread, pickles and two sides, had a generous fat cap but was drier than expected and lacked distinction.

With Central Texas barbecue, the dry rub is key. Shane’s house rub for pork and poultry is a classic blend of smoked paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, mustard and a hint of cayenne that works nicely. Still, the Wagyu and chicken gave us the opportunity to sample the house-made sauces: regular, hot, blackberry and vinegar. All are ketchup-based and simmered over an open flame, as is tradition, with plenty of flavor. However, the hot sauce did not have the badass kick my guest and I were looking for. Heat means different things to different people and us Yankees tend to speed dial 911 when things get too spicy, but one expects a Texas-inspired menu to include an offering with fiery punch.

If you are inclined to steer clear of blackberry sauce fearing it will be too jammy, drink your inhibitions away with a Shiner Boch on tap and go for it. The sauce’s piquant and subtle fruit mix results in a delightful and rare – at least in these parts – taste sensation.

The classic BBQ joint side dishes, all $4 if ordered a la carte, hit the expected marks, except for the creamed corn, which ascends to the level of divine decadence. The corn is boiled quickly, cut fresh off the cob immediately, then paired with cream cheese and a touch of smoked Gouda for a perfect union. Don’t think about the calories, just dive in.

Northerners hankering for something new will want to try the rich Texas baked beans, not to be confused with the soupier Boston version. These are tinged with just a wisp of molasses and have an al dente snap. If you like the idea of playing with your food to create new adventures for your tastebuds, layer them with your pulled pork and toss some crunchy coleslaw on top.

Both the collard greens and potato salad had a welcome vinegary bite, the latter having been dosed with a splash of apple cider vinegar and a relish based dressing with white onion and celery.

The cornbread, a staple of most of the meals, is tasty too, striking the right balance between course and cakey, baked over that open fire in sheets and served in thin but vast squares with a dollop of butter on top.

Meals are served on butcher paper in metal trays, with meats and sides cradled in cardboard bowls.

From the dining room, guests can see the grill area where head chef Tom McNeil presides over the fire and a smoker the size of a small train engine. Since joining Shane’s in July, McNeil loads local oak into the smoker and fires it up at 8 a.m. each work day. The pulled pork comes out 12 hours later and everything else follows about two hours after that. During one of my visits, I see him lug beef back ribs into the kitchen. McNeil calls them Fred Flintstone ribs because they are colossal, cut off the prime rib. A typical four-bone slab takes up an entire dinner tray. I will be back for those monsters. Yabba dabba doo!

Sausage is also on my Shane’s bucket list. The type changes every other day, but last week chicken sausage with smoked Gouda and roasted garlic was featured. The menu also includes tacos, nachos, chicken wings and smoke prime rib on Thursdays.

Shane’s Texas style all-meat-no-beans chili took second place in the People’s Choice category at Prescott Park Arts Festival’s Chili Fest this year, and they came in first for the People’s Choice in the Smuttynose Smokeshow BBQ competition.

This is as good a time as any to note a sad truth in the world of barbecue. It does not last forever. When a certain type of meat is gone for the day, there is no slapping another on the grill to serve up perfectly smoked moments later. To cement this, Shane’s has “When we’re out, we’re out” painted on a wall. If you are hankering for a specific type of BBQ, get there early.

My friend from Austin tells me he has always thought of BBQ as community food. It takes a long time to prepare and perfect, which leaves plenty of time to hang with your peeps, discuss the finer points of dry rubs, wood fires, meat cuts, sports, music, and life over a few beers. So atmosphere is part of the experience.

Shane's gets a lot of this right. It’s a big, roomy place with a wood and corrugated tin motif and a long, full bar with two big TVs separated by a horned cow’s skull. There’s also a patio out back with corn hole toss games. There are 16 taps on draft, specialty cocktails and live country music on Friday and Saturday nights.

The staff is friendly and efficient. My servers, Toni and Meagan, were especially charming, answering questions with expertise and sharing background about the restaurant and the menu.

Karaoke night got underway during one of my visits. It was a bit loud, but the bar was full and guests were engaged and enthusiastic. I have a message for the bartender who sportingly took part, highlighting a velvety voice: Girl, the kitchen is doling out the ribs, but you’ve got the chops.

While New Hampshire has a ways to go to match the quality and authenticity of BBQ in Austin, Texas, Shane’s has honed in on its spirit, understands the ideal, and takes it seriously. It’s well worth the visit.

Shane’s is located at 61 High St., Hampton. It is open from noon to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Industry night is Thursday with half off all drinks from 5 p.m. to close. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Take out and catering available. Call (603) 601-7091.

View more Dining Out reviews at seacoastonline.com/diningout.

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